Friday night.
I had arranged to leave my car at the farm at Richmond and travel up
the rest of the way with Paul. In the end we decided to sleep at the
farm and drive up early in the morning, to save packing up a probably wet tent in the morning.
Saturday.
Away just after 5 we arrived at the southern Deep Pass Car Park about
6:30, to find nary a sole stirring, so much for a 7 start! A couple of
members have not turned up yet. The trip was arraigned around one team
doing Crikey Canyon and other teams doing other canyons in the area.
There was some discussion about what other canyons to do with Four Man,
Sandy Caves and Harmonic Convergence mentioned. Nic, Fin and I had expressed
an interest in Crikey. In my case because I last did this canyon in the
70's, when I was new to canyon and abseil. My only memory from that trip
was awkward starts, one in particular where we had to reach down over
a meter for the rope and then hook on and lower yourself without slipping
and shock loading the rope and anchor.
There was a general lack of interest from most other team members in
long scrub bashes into and out of the other canyons mentioned. Reports
suggested that these other canyons may have been less interesting
anyway. Final
decision was that we would split into two teams and each do
Crikey separately. If the other two turned up we would split into three,
three man teams.
In the end we didn't get away till after 8 and left without the missing
people. Down the abandoned road to Deep Pass, very rutted, steep,
narrow, with slippery clay patches. Deep Pass is a lovely natural feature,
long, wide, level fern covered valley between tall cliffs.
Many people
use it for a pleasant weekend bush camping place. Our path, across the
valley and up the cliffs the other side, making use of a convenient fallen
tree, crawl through a tight gap and then scramble up a small gulley.
I plan to use a belay to come back down the scramble, on the way home.
Fin is the designated navigator, so she can get the BWRS navigation competency
ticked off. No problem at Mt Norris till a gps comes out, the readings
from this indicates we are about 200 meters away. I can see we are on
top! Ahh the others say what datum is the gps set to, is it the same
as the maps we are using. No, the gps is set to agd 84, the map is gda
94 (named gda on some gps's - for practical purposes the gps datum wgs
84 can be used).
Change the gps datum to wgs 84 and suddenly we are back on top of
Mt Norris again – is this time travel or warp travel or just old kind
magic? :-)
Rail Motor Ridge extends a lot further than we are going to day and winds
about between the Bungleboori Creek and tributaries to the south and Naynook
Creek and tributaries to the north. Waratah Ridge is to our south beyond
the Bungleboori. Somewhere in that direction we can hear the sweet refrain
of doof doof drum music wafting on the warm airs, (a weekend rage party
it would seem as we hear it on and off all weekend).
A delightful warm sunny autumn day to walk in the bush. Perhaps a little
scrubbier on the ridge top than in the
past but still not too bad.
Trees just tall enough to provide shade when needed. Beautiful sandstone ridge
flower display, only small flowers this time of year, but we pass lots of
waratah seed pods to show there would have been a magnificent display
of these big red flowers in spring. Mainly small ridge top birds flitting
from tree to tree at this time of day, but we do see the odd flock of
brightly coloured parrots. At the right location we turn south onto
a spur which will take us to a creek junction in Crikey creek. Interesting
walking with the outcrops of sandstone covered by contorted iron stone
deposits (the iron stone is harder so these strange prehistoric shapes
are left proud of the sandstone outcrop). Very weird shapes some of them.
Fin has had no problems with the navigation and we eventually catch up
with the others at the Crikey Creek junction. Lunch for us, while the
other party went ahead. An interesting open creek fairly typical of the
area, cliffy sections, boulder jambs to negotiate, short pools to paddle,
scrambles, fallen trees to scramble through, round, over, crunch, crunch,
mostly fern covered with the odd stand of tree ferns. It went on longer
than we had anticipated but eventually the tall cliffs either side narrow ahead, leaving a ridiculously narrow gap for the river to flow
through. We have arrived at the canyon and I for one am impressed.
The way the water has sculptured the rock into a wavy slot, opening out
a little below our feet, has to be seen to be believed.
I can see this
artistry from this photo on this page, because I know what I'm looking at but I fear
others may miss the charm. The rock in this part of the canyon is dark
compared with the brightly coloured rock exposed in other canyons. Still
I love it.
An anchor sling has been set from a tree on the left. Nic would prefer
to move it, but I am happy enough with the descent. In the end Nic finds
undoing the sling knots too slow and we go from there. An abseil of 10m
takes us into a chamber about 3m wide and 15 long about 10m high to where
the wavy gap narrows above us limits light from above. The next abseil
about 8m is from slings around a chock-stone at the edge of the waterfall
drop, we need to reach down for the rope and then lower ourselves carefully
to tension the abseil rope without shock loading it or the anchor. No
problems to any of this crew. It is starting to get quite dark due to
the limited light filtering through the narrow slot above us and the passage
is getting much narrower not much over a meter here.
The next abseil about 8m has an awkward start. We need to scramble through
a hole, down onto the small flat top of the waterfall, to get onto the
rope, remember we are wearing overnight packs. Again this group has no difficulty. It is now so dark we could
easily use a torch but we are all happy groping around in the dark checking
slings and getting onto rope. We pass many glow worms visible clearly
in the gloom. A most magic place almost a cave, less than a meter wide
in many places, the flash from the camera reveals much more colourful
rock in this section.
The path we follow is like many canyons. Climb downs, waterfalls (not
much water flow today), squeezes, a few short swims up to 10m long, and
lots of wading, and rock hopping. I don't find the water too cold yet.
As we progress downstream, gradually the light improves, as the canyon
widens above us. Occasionally we can even see the sky way up through
the cliffy gap. It is still clear and sunny up there, even if we do occasionally
get damp (just like fine rain) from the spray of a side entry waterfall
way up high. There is more vegetation now, mosses, ferns, tree ferns,
tall canyon trees - coachwood and sassafras, and the odd nuisance fallen
tree debris, mixed with boulder jambs. A couple of the enormous chock-stones
way up above us gives a sense of de je vu. Can I really remember some
things from 30+ years ago or are there similar sites in other canyons?
(Probably a little of both :-).
We came to the abseil I remember and there is still a sling way down
there, but other thoughtful soles have used a piece of wedged timber to
make a better place to abseil from. Mind you the start stills involves
gently lowering yourself onto the rope but only 300 - 400 mm not 1.3m.
For the record I took the easier way today (-:.
Now we can catch views of the cliff faces that line the Bungleboori.
Only the last 20m abseil to go, at least this
has an easier start. The Bungleboori is bathed in bright sunlight a distinct
change from our last couple of hours. Calls and loud whistles aren't
answered, but a radio call establishes the others are 300 m or so upstream
at a good camping location. We wend our way up to them, scrambling, wading, swimming, pushing through scrub on the bank. I always love the Bungleboori
it is a place so rich in delightful stimuli for all the senses. A place
designed for people to be at peace with all.
The camp spot is set in a coppice of small coachwood tree on level sandy
ground, the true left bank of the creek. The cliff line here has enough
overhang, to shelter those who choose to sleep
there. A couple do set up a sinylon tarp out under the trees. At the
back of the grove a waterfall provides a small flow of water suitable
for drinking. A small fire provides a focal point for the camp and augments
cooking, most of which is done on super lightweight gas stoves. Part
of the aim of this trip is to demonstrate lightweight overnight canyoning
(to this end I have foregone my sleeping bag and will use two sets of
thermals plus a thermal inner-sheet, it gets cool I wrap my groundsheet/space-blanket
over the top ). As the light fades the fissures in the cliff faces reveal
hundreds of glow-worms trying to outdo the light of the fire. The tinkle
of the passing stream gives a peaceful background sound to the conversation
of exploits past and future, occasionally punctuated by the call of night
birds, koel, boobook and possibly some heard doof doof as well.
Sunday
Light comes even more gradually than normal in a canyon morning, so it
was after 7 before much of a stirring from sleeping bags. Fin hurt a
toe yesterday and is doubtful about doing Nosedive Canyon today (she and
Dave have a weeks canyoning planned so she doesn't
want to jepodise that with an agrivated
injury). I am feeling lethargic this morning and I did Nosedive no so
long ago so I wouldn't mind missing it either.
We didn't get away till 9 in part because I decided to change into my
wet suit for the 500m walk along the Bungleboori
to the exit.
This section of river just as beautiful as the last with
the advantage that we didn't need to swim. I changed out of my half dry
wet suit at the exit side creek. One scramble up beside a fallen log,
then easy walking up the creek at first then eventually up onto the ridge.
A pleasant stop sitting in the sun on one of the many rocky outcrops to
discuss ways to Nosedive. Fin decided not to go and I volunteered to
go directly back with her, David her partner had not done Nosedive Canyon
and he would gain from the experience.
We all did a resorting and distributing of group equipment so that Fin
and I ended up with a squad gps, plb and abseil rope. Fin and I sat a
little longer practicing resection to find our exact location without
the gps ( resection is measuring the angle from/to prominent locations
within site (usually high spots) and plotting the angle lines on the map.
Your position is shown where the lines intersect. Of course Fin did this
very well.
We wandered our way up the spur to the main Rail Motor Ridge
then back to Deep Pass. No hurry, so we stopped to rest where we felt
like it, or took photos and generally site see. One little prickle in paradise but, damn little pesky black horse flies.
Hundreds of them with a stinging bite that leaves your skin feeling sore. I don't like killing things but the
instinctive reaction is to swear and swat them and you get a number each time )-: The doof doof music is
back with us way back in the distance, wafting on the warm autumn airs.
We noticed two termite mounds in different places partly enveloping live broad leafed geebung
trees. Not sure how that works!
We did hear black cockatoos screeching overhead a couple of times but didn't look up.
The old story is that
you get a day's rain for each Black cocky you see – so don't look up.
This afternoon forecast is for thunderstorms and a southerly change anyway
:-)
At the scramble down into Deep Pass we set up an abseil in two stages
down to the valley floor. On the fist abseil we notice sharp ironstone
bands in the rope fall line and position the rope to avoid then as best
we could, also making sure to abseil gently. I didn't have anything in
my pack suitable for a rope protector. (I didn't notice any rope damage
during the abseil but Paul reported a bad wear mark that had to be cut
out, when he checked the ropes back at the store.)
Back at the cars about 5pm, just before the thunder over to the southwest
and a faint spit of drizzle. The other team arrived just before 7,
we soon packed up and headed off. Dave and Fin dropped at Bungleboori Camp area to wait
their friend. Dave and Nic on to Canberra, Mark to Sydney and Paul and I to Richmond to pick up my car.
We phoned ahead for takeaway pizza at the Apple Bar at Bilpin. Unluckily
they were busy and we still had a wait. We did get rained on more heavily
on the road, so the weather was kind to us on the walk.
Thank you, Nic and Fin for a great tip, thank you Dave for organising
the event and Dave, Paul, Mark for your part in the journey. It
is a pleasure to share this experience with you all. Till next time. Copyright
Dug Floyd February 2010.
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